In plumbing, a trap is a device which has a shape that uses a bending path to capture water to prevent sewer gases from entering buildings, while allowing waste to pass through. Traps are typically U, S, P or J-shaped pipe located below or within a plumbing fixture. An S-shaped trap is also known as an S-bend. The most common of these traps in houses is referred to as a P-trap. It is the addition of a 90 degree fitting on the outlet side of a U-bend, thereby creating a P-like shape. It is also referred to as a sink trap because it is installed under most house sinks.
Because of its shape, the trap retains a small amount of water after the fixture's use. This water in the trap creates a seal that prevents sewer gas from passing from the drain pipes back into the occupied space of the building. Essentially all plumbing fixtures including sinks, bathtubs, and toilets must be equipped with either an internal or external trap.
Because it is a localized low-point in the plumbing, sink traps also tend to capture heavy objects (such as jewelry) that are inadvertently dropped into the sink. Traps also tend to collect hair, sand, and other debris and limit the ultimate size of objects that will pass on into the rest of the plumbing, thereby catching oversized objects.
For all of these reasons, most traps can either be disassembled for cleaning or they provide some sort of clean out feature. However, with conventional P-traps the disassembly of the trap is generally the first and only method of removing blockages. Accessing the drain with a snake further requires removal of the trap sections, even if a blockage is located passed the trap element. And, the mess, time, trouble and mere in-accessibility of disassembling the fixture is often the difficult task due to its location under a sink, and especially those sinks set into cabinets that have drawers.
Some methods and devices are known that incorporate various mechanisms for providing access within plumbing systems through various specialty access features. For example:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,756,076, issued in the name of Rodriguez, Jr., discloses an adjustable angle waste fitting that includes a series of pipe sections that are successively and integrally connected to one another in successive angular relation. The sections each have a frangible juncture with the immediately preceding section, a respective frangible juncture, whereby a fully packed and sealed connection with a bell of a next pipe fitting may be formed. An end elbow includes a generally horizontal straight section that terminates in an internally threaded collar and having a removable plug so as to provide a clean-out for the fitting.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2009/0173396, published in the name of Spadaveccia, discloses a unitary, one piece plumbing pipe for use as a drain and vent pipe. It can be used to drain a single appliance using the typical goose-neck style drain pipe, but it can also vent an entire plumbing system. No vent through the roof of a building is necessary in that the vent pipe has a vertical portion extending upwardly above the highest point of the drainage plumbing, but not through said building to the outside. The vent pipe has an opening capable of permitting ambient air to enter the pipe when there is negative fluid pressure within said pipe, but not permitting any fluid to escape the vent pipe when there is positive fluid pressure within said pipe.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0275490, published in the name of Letcher, Jr., discloses a plumbing waste arm with a clean out that has a waste arm adapted to connect to a wall drain pipe at one end and a clean out end at an opposite end. The clean out end has a threaded portion that engages with a clean out portion cover to removably seal the clean out end. A vertical portion is disposed between the wall drain pipe end and the clean out end and connects to a P-trap using a slip nut. In use, a user removes the cap and feeds a snake in through tile clean out opening. The clean out end may be angled to allow use in plumbing configurations where the P-trap is in the way of the clean out portion. The threaded portion may have exterior threads with a cap or interior threads with a plug.
U.S. Design Pat. No. D659,809, issued in the name of Smith, discloses an ornamental design for a sink trap that includes a second entry port aft of the P-trap section.
U.S. Pat. No. 607,983, issued in the name of Cooper, discloses a sanitary trap that includes a clean-out at the top of the elbow at the back of the trap section.
U.S. Pat. No. 712,759, issued in the name of Breen, discloses a test trap or seal for sewer pipes that includes a pair of clean-out ports, one at the top of each elbow that forms the U-shaped trap.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,759,803, issued in the name of Pysher et al, discloses a pipe clean-out fitting that can be inserted in any point at a joint and incorporates two separate clean out ports, at 120° to each other and each 45° from a horizontal and vertical section, respectively.
It is preferable that a otherwise conventional P-trap plumbing components be modified in such a manner that allows for access in a manner that aids in the identification and removal of the most common types of blockages. Consequently, a need has been felt for providing a plumbing drain P-trap fixture improvement including clean out access elements without the limitations or drawbacks of the prior art.